Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ARRANGEMENT FOR PIVOTABLE AND SLIDABLE
SUSPENSION OF SHEETS
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for
pivotable and slidable suspension of sheets, such as
window-panes for glazed verandas or balconies.
Background Art
A device of the type stated by way of introduction
is known from Patent Specification WO 94/09238, in which
a sliding element system with guide wheels at the upper
rail and a supporting wheel at the lower rail is disclos-
ed. For the lower wheel to follow the correct path, a
groove is formed in the lower rail. The forming of the
lower wheel with a rounded running tread which abuts
against the edges of the groove results in the wheel
turning relative to the groove when pivoting the sliding
element, which causes the wheel to rise. This motion is
used to let a pin adjacent to the upper wheel enter a
hole in the upper rail. When the pin is positioned in
the hole and the lower wheel is positioned transversely
in the rail, these two elements are locked in relation
to the longitudinal direction of the rails and, thus,
the sliding element cannot tilt when in the open posi-
tion. Since the wheel should be oriented in the direction
of motion when the sliding element is to be moved, this
construction does not allow the sliding element to be
passed round a corner. Should its direction of motion be
changed, it is necessary for the rail to be bent with a
large radius. The above publication discloses that the
sliding elements can be passed round a corner, but in
that case the lower wheels are not fixed in their posi-
tion relative to the sliding element, which results in
the above-mentioned locking function being lost. In order
to realise this constructional idea, a large number of
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components are necessary and this makes the solution
expensive.
US 4,845,806 discloses a further variant of how it
would be possible to suspend window-panes or sliding ele-
ments. In this construction there is only an upper rail,
in which carrying elements holding the sliding element
can move. There are two carrying elements for each slid-
ing element, one in each of the two upper corners. Each
carrying element has two wheels which have vertical axes
of rotation and are mounted in a vertically spaced-apart
relationship and run in two grooves in the rail to pre-
vent the sliding element from tilting about the longitu-
dinal direction of the rail. To hold the weight of the
sliding element, there is a horizontal running surface
in the rail section, on which at least one ball castor
included in the carrying elements moves. Sliding ele-
ments suspended in this manner cannot be opened by a
turning motion about one of the carrying elements and
can only be pushed along the rail.
There are a number of variants of these two sys-
tems, but the differences reside in how many wheels are
positioned in the various fixing elements and how the
various wheels are positioned relative to each other (see
WO 92/17673 and WO 93/08355). These variants comprise a
large number of components. They also require narrow
tolerances in connection with the mounting of the rails
to function in a satisfactory manner.
A similar swivel sliding door is disclosed in
GB 445,074. The door is affixed to the wings of hinges
placed at the top and bottom at the rear end of the door.
The hinges are attached to horizontal grooves; one groove
at the top and one at the base of the door framework. The
hinges slide along horizontal grooves in the door frame,
whereby the door is simultaneously swung open and slid
backwards or forwards via the hinge. The horizontal
grooved runners consists of a flat base with two vertical
sides to each, attached to the full length and at the top
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of each side is an inner horizontal lug. These lugs form
two fixed ledges which fit the neck of the hinges keeping
the hinges rigid and the door upright whilst sliding. The
hinges is formed with extended necks with constrictions
engaging the inner projecting flanges on the grooved
runners. Thus, also this design requires very narrow
tolerances in order to be able to prevent the window from
tilting when swung open and still allowing a sliding
movement.
Summary of the Invention
An object of the invention is to provide a suspen-
sion device which is designed in a simple and robust
fashion. It should also be possible for the suspended
sheets to be passed round a corner having an arbitrary
angle. Combining flexibility and tolerance towards incor-
rect mounting with stability is also a problem that
should be solved.
These objects are achieved by a suspension device
having the features described herein.
With a device according to the present invention,
a number of advantages over the current technique are
achieved.
A spherical bearing which carries the weight of the
sheet results in possible directions of sliding not being
limited in any way. The cylindrical portions included in
the fixing elements and extending through the slots in
each rail have the same possibility of sliding motions as
the spherical bearing. By adapting the diameters of the
cylindrical portions to the width of the slots, it is
possible to adjust the flexibility in the fixing ele-
ments. Since the cylindrical portions extend in the ver-
tical direction, a relative vertical motion between rail
and fixing element is allowed. With a thin wall of the
section of the rail on that side where the slot is cut,
the cylindrical portions can be inclined to a consider-
able extent although there is a small difference in dia-
meter and width (and, thus, good stability).
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By arranging a ball castor at the very bottom, the
sheet can be passed round corners having an arbitrary
angle and it can also be moved more easily along the
rails. Such an arrangement also causes less wear on fix-
ing element as well as rail.
If the fixing elements are formed to have an elon-
gate cross-section over part of their length, which part
is adapted to follow a groove in the rails, an automatic
locking function is achieved if holes are formed along
the centre line of the groove which have a diameter
exceeding the width of the groove since the elongate
cross-sectional portion is then turned to be locked in
these holes when making the sheets pivot.
If the distances between the fixing elements of the
different sheets are the same, all sheets will have the
same pattern of motion when being passed round a corner.
It is then possible to adjust the distances in such man-
ner that, for instance, they go clear of, for example,
a balcony rail which is mounted just outside the lower
rail. Since all the fixing elements are positioned in the
same way on the sheets, a larger opening must usually be
made in the rails, which for many of the existing con-
structions constitutes an insurmountable obstacle. In the
inventive suspension device, however, this can be done
since the ball castor is guided by a protruding edge of
the section on the side of the centre line of the rail
where the opening is positioned. Special smaller recesses
can be made in the protruding edge to facilitate the
insertion and removal of the castor.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a sectional view transversely of the lon-
gitudinal direction of the rails, which schematically
shows according to a preferred embodiment that part of
the length of the rails in which the sheets are slidable.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view transversely of the lon-
gitudinal direction of the rails, which schematically
shows according to a preferred embodiment that part of
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the length of the rails in which the sheets are to be
removed from the rails by turning.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view transversely of the
longitudinal direction of the rails, which schematical-
5 ly illustrates according to a preferred embodiment that
part of the length of the rails in which the sheets are
pivotally suspended from the rails.
Description of Preferred Embodiments
With reference to the Figures, two parallel rails 1,
2 are fixedly mounted one above the other. The two rails
1, 2 have a hollow square section with thin walls and a
longitudinal slot 3, 4 on the side which is directed to
the other rail. Each of the square sheets 5 is fixed to
the rails 1, 2 by means of a fixing element 6, 7 in each
corner. The lower fixing elements 7 have in their lower-
most portion a ball castor 8 which carries the weight of
the sheet S. The ball castor 8 rests against a flat sur-
face 9 inside the section of the lower rail 1. To guide
the sheet 5 in the horizontal direction, each of the fix-
ing elements 6, 7 has a cylindrical portion 10, 11 which
extends through the slot 3, 4 in the rails 1, 2. Moreover
there is formed on the lower fixing element 7 between the
ball castor 8 and the cylindrical portion 10 a portion
12, which has such a radial extent as to abut against the
corresponding portion of the fixing element of a neigh-
bouring sheet. As a result, each sheet 5 is automatical-
ly guided along the rails 1, 2 to the openable position.
Correspondingly, a circular part 20 is formed on the
upper fixing element 6 to guide in the same way the rela-
tive positions of the sheets 5 along the rails 1, 2. With
a view to preventing the sheets 5 from tilting by the
upper fixing element 6 following the upper rail 2 when
the sheet 5 is in an outwardly pivoted position, an
insert 24 is arranged in the rail 2. The insert 24 has
a longitudinal groove. In a predetermined spaced-apart
relationship, holes 23 are arranged along the centre line
of the grooves, said holes having a diameter (equal to
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the diameter of the portion 12 of the lower fixing ele-
ment) which exceeds the width of the groove. By forming
the upper fixing element 6 from a cylinder having the
same diameter as said holes 23 and then making recesses
on both sides to form a long and narrow pin of the same
width as the groove and the same length as the diameter
of the holes 23, the position of the sheet 5 can be lock-
ed in a hole 23 when making the sheet slide. To allow the
sheets 5 to pivot through more than 90 , there is a spe-
cial insert 21 in the rail 1, said insert in combination
with a pin 22 arranged on the fixing element 7(similar
to the pin which enters the holes 23 at the upper fixing
element) causing a lower guiding of the sheets. For the
fixing of the sheets 5 to the fixing elements 6, 7, any
conventional fastening device 13, 14 can be used. Use is
advantageously made of seals 15, 16 and wind- and water-
repellent ledges 17 to prevent the interior 18, 19 of the
sections and the fixing elements 6, 7 from being unneces-
sarily affected by wind and weather. To enable sliding
of the sheets 5, recesses must be made in the sectional
sides of the rails 1, 2. Opening and closing is carried
out by means of telescoping sections 25 which run in the
longitudinal direction of the rails 1, 2 and which in the
closed position are positioned in front of the openings
and then also transmit horizontal forces from the sheets
5 to the rails 1, 2. Along the opening the ball castor
8 is guided by a protruding sectional part 26, in which
small recesses are made to facilitate insertion and
removal of the ball castor B.
By arranging the fixing elements 6, 7 in the same
positions on all sheets 5, they can be mounted on the
inside of a balcony rail and still retain their possibi-
lity of being passed round corners since all the sheets
5 will obtain the same pattern of motion. Although this
implies in many cases that larger recesses must be made
in the side of the rail section 1, 2, this will not con-
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stitute a problem by using the above-mentioned telescop-
ing sections 25 and the protruding sectional part 26.
The device according to the invention is primarily
suited for suspending window-panes for balconies, glazed
verandas or similar applications. However, the construc-
tion does not leave out the possibility of using it as a
ceiling in different angles. For instance, the inventive
device can be used as partitions for rooms, the size of
which should be variable. The simplicity and robustness
of the construction make it suitable for many different
applications.
The invention is not limited to the embodiment illu-
strated in the drawings and described above and varia-
tions are feasible within the scope of the invention.
Thus, additional flexibility can be obtained by giving
the rails and the lateral sections a telescoping func-
tion, for instance by fixing a larger section in the sur-
roundings and then placing the section which is to con-
tact the sheet in the larger section and fixing it in the
correct position.
